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New Year's resolution: turn your milestones into miracles

Mike Weir: "Milestones for Miracles will help kids and parents alike."
TORONTO, Jan. 14 /CNW/ - Your son's 10th birthday. Your 20th wedding
anniversary. Your team's playoff win. What milestones are you celebrating in
2009? This year, recognize your momentous occasions with Milestones for
Miracles (www.MilestonesForMiracles.com) - a unique way for any of your
celebrations to make a difference and help sick children across the country.
Milestones for Miracles is a new online event planning portal that gives
you the opportunity, with the help of friends and family, to both mark a key
moment and give back to a meaningful cause. Funds raised go to Children's
Miracle Network, which supports children's hospitals across Canada. The site
collects "gifts" in the form of monetary donations and channels the funds to
Children's Miracle Network hospitals on behalf of the celebrant. In lieu of
gifts at events such as your bridal shower or your child's birthday party, the
new portal allows you to register online at MilestonesForMiracles.com, where
you can create a customized page for any milestone you want to celebrate.
"I've had the privilege of celebrating some significant milestones in my
career - my first tournament, my first major, getting my tour card. But
equally important are the milestones that I celebrate with my kids and family,
whether they be birthdays, anniversaries or the first day of a new school
year," says Mike Weir, eight-time PGA tour winner and host of the Mike Weir
Miracle Golf Drive for Kids. "My kids are a key part of all my celebrations
and I can't help but think about other parents whose children can't be there
for special occasions because they're at the hospital. Milestones for Miracles
will help kids and parents alike by ensuring that those hospital stays are as
comfortable and as brief as possible."
"Every time one of my players reaches a milestone on the field, we
celebrate, and everyday, my daughters give my wife and I reasons to
celebrate," says Michael 'Pinball' Clemons, CEO Toronto Argonauts Football
Club. "Some families, however, can't share celebrations so easily because
their kids are in hospital. We're facing some pretty challenging times ahead,
but kids will always need the support and care provided by children's
hospitals. More than ever, we need to think of new ways to continue providing
that support - Milestones for Miracles is a great example."
You can invite your friends, family and colleagues through personalized
e-mails to make a donation online instead of sending a gift. Gifts are
collected through your secured customized page. Funds are disbursed according
to the postal code of the giver, with a note saying the gift was made on
behalf of the celebrant. Tax receipts are issued by the Children's Miracle
Network hospital benefiting from the donation.
"We started Milestones for Miracles because our supporters told us that
they are increasingly looking for unique, meaningful ways to recognize key
moments in their lives," says John Hartman, Chief International Officer for
Children's Miracle Network. "Milestones for Miracles gives Canadians the
opportunity to both celebrate their milestones and have a positive impact on
the lives of sick and injured children in their communities."
In Canada, the children's hospitals/foundations receiving funding from
Children's Miracle Network are: BC Children's Hospital Foundation in
Vancouver, Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation in Calgary, Stollery
Children's Hospital Foundation in Edmonton, Children's Health and Hospital
Foundation of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, The Children's Hospital Foundation of
Manitoba in Winnipeg, SickKids Foundation in Toronto, Children's Health
Foundation in London, McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Children's
Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation in Ottawa, Operation Enfant Soleil (St.
Justine's Children's Hospital, Montreal Children's Hospital, Centre
hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHUQ)), IWK Health Centre in Halifax, and
Janeway Children's Hospital Foundation in St. John's.
About Children's Miracle Network
Children's Miracle Network is an international non-profit organization
dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for
children's hospitals and health foundations across North America. Each year,
the 170 Children's Miracle Network hospitals, 14 of which are in Canada,
create miracles by providing the finest medical care, life-saving research and
preventative education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries
of every kind.
Through its year-round efforts to help kids, Children's Miracle Network
has raised more than $3.4 billion to date, most of which is donated a dollar
or two at a time by caring individuals across North America. In 2007,
Children's Miracle Network raised more than $42.7 million for the 14 Canadian
member children's hospitals/foundations and the 2.6 million children they
treated.
To donate or to learn more, go to ChildrensMiracleNetwork.ca. Your
donations benefit your Children's Miracle Network hospital.